City of Caseville continues quest for annexation

Published 3:11 pm, Friday, April 22, 2016

By Kate Hessling

Tribune Staff Writer

CASEVILLE — Following the reading of a letter from the local supervisor stating the township will not mutually agree to annexation, city council members on Monday said the city will continue the process of revising the city’s boundary line.

“We’re not trying to take any land in the township — this has always been in the village,” said City Office Administrator Forrest Williams.

The land in question includes two parcels located across from the Caseville City/Township Hall on the corner of Michigan Ave., and include industrial-zoned property that previously was the Moco facility and now is home to Blue Chip Manufacturing.

Council explained when Caseville was incorporated as a city, the boundary line was established by information the state had. That information differed from the boundary identified by Huron County Tax Mapping.

Councilman Al Mason said the property has been taxed by the village since the 1960s, and other documents exist showing the property has been considered to be within the village’s boundaries. However, because of a paperwork snafu in the Michigan Office of the Great Seal, the boundaries of the city currently do not include those two parcels, he said.

Mason also said the owners of Blue Chip Manufacturing purchased the property knowing it would be included in the city/village.

But according to the township’s letter to the city council’s Finance Committee, the township is opting to respect the wishes of the Office of the Great Seal and will not agree to annexation. If the township did agree to the annexation, it would be giving up a pretty good deal, considering it landed industrial property tax revenue when the boundaries were defined by the state, not what was followed in the past when the property was included in the village.

City council members voted in early August to submit a petition to the state boundary commission. Officials noted Monday they plan to use research and evidence showing the property was inaccurately excluded from the city to annex the land in question.

No representatives from the Township of Caseville were present at Monday’s meeting to answer questions raised and reply to concerns stated during Monday’s city council meeting.